Yoke and process of making same



May 15,-1928.

K. M. HAMILTON YOKE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 28, 1934 May 15, 1928. 1,669,706

K. M. HAMILTON YOKE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 1924 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES KARL M. HAMTLTON, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

YOKE AND PROCESS OF MAKING. SAME.

Application filed February 28, 1924. Serial No. 695,845.

This invention relates to improvements inyokes and process of making same.

One object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive yoke of exceedingly strong construction adapted for railway draft riggings and which is made of wrought steel or other non-cast 1netal capable of being for-med and bent, and possessing high tensile qualities.

Another-object of the invention is to provide a simple process, involving few steps for manufacturing yokes for use in railway draft iiggings.

The invent-ion furthermore consists in the improvements in the steps and novel combination ofithe StepSrOf the process, herein shown, described and claimed. 7

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter follow 1ng.. I i

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a yoke, embodying my invention. Figure 2 isa side elevational view, partly insection, ofthe yoke shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view of a filler block employedin connection with my improved yoke; Figure 4 is a detailed perspeetive view of a, partly fabricated blank or strap used in carrying out my process, illustratingin dotted lines the second step of the process. Figure 5 is a perspective View showing the strap after the second step of the process and illustrating in dotted lines the third step of the same. Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5,-sho'wing the strap after the third step of the process and illustrating in dotted lines the next or fourth step, which consists in bending the strap back upon itself or doubling the same with an elongated recess in the bend. And Figure 7 shows the strap bent back upon itself or doubled'ready tobe assembled'with the filler block and illustrates in dotted lines the manner of bending down the free ends of the arms of the strap after the filler block has been assembled therewith, the,

block being omitted in Figure 7.

In said drawings, the completed yoke is shown of well known hooded formand comprises upper and lower arms 10 and 11, a hollow hood 12 at its forward end and a filler block 13 at the rear end rigidly connected to the upper and lower arms. The hood 12 has outwardly diverging side walls 14 14, a top wall 15 constituting an extension of thearm 1.0 and a bottom wall 16 constituting an extension of the arm 11. The side walls 14 are provided with alined slots as indicated at 17-17 to accommodate the usual coupler key. The filler block 13 is provided with a vertical front face adapted .to coact with the usual rear follower of the shock absorbing mechanism and is cutaway at'the back to provide apair of verticalflanges 1818 adapted to accommodate theupwardly and downwardly bent portions 19 of the arms 11 and 10 therebetween. The block 13 is also provided with a pair-of horizontally disposed openings 20 adapted to receive the horizontally extendingportions 21 of. the arms 10 and 11, the openings 20 being .enlarged at the inner ends as indicated at 22 to accommodate the angularly bent, upset ends 23 of the armslO and 11.

I11 fabricating the improved .yoke, I make use of a blank inthe form of a billet or fiat bar,.of steel or other suitable. metal which is particularly effective under tension. In forming the blank from a steel billet,I dropforge, out and punch it to the form indicated in Figure. 4. .That is, the blank is dropforged' with two oppositely extending arms 10 and lland a pair ofupstanding, central wings 114, the wings 114 being disposed at opposite edges of the .blank and converging inwardly toward the center. The blank is punched, out or forged at the center to pro videv an opening25, and webs 15 and 16.

The. upper edges of the wings 114 are cut away or depressed between the ends as indicated at 117, thereby leaving upward extensions 26.26 at the opposite ends of each wing. The extensions 26 at the opposite ends of each Wing abut when the blank is bent or doubled,,and the cut away or de pressed portion 117 defines one of the key slots 17. Immediately adjacent the wings 114, the arms 10 and 11 are tapered in width as indicated at 27 to correspond with the finished width of the arms of the yoke. At

the free ends, the arms 10 and 11 are still further tapered and reduced in width,; as shown, thereby providing tongues 28.

When the blank is formed from a fiat bar, I punch and cut it so as to provide the arms 10 and 11 and laterally extending wings disposed in a plane common with the plane of the blank, the wings being afterwards bent upwardly at right angles to the 'major portion of the blank to provide the:

upstanding wings 114. The opening 25 is formed either simultaneously with the cutting out operation or subsequent thereto.

After the blank has been formed, as indicated in Figure 4, the ends of the tongues 28 are bent at substantially right angles to the arms 10-and 11, thereby providing upstanding ends 119, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, and full lines in Figure 5. The inner straight portions of the tongues 28 are then bent on a curve, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5 and in full lines in Figure 6, bringing each end 121 into spaced parallel relation with the corresponding arm and disposing the portion 19 substantially vertically. The flange is next bent back on itself or doubled as indieated'in dotted lines in Figure 6 and in full lines in Figure 7, the bending taking place in a zone substantially centrally between the opposite ends of the webs 114. vWhen the blank has been doubled, the arms 10 and 11 are disposed in spacedparallel relation, the webs forming the top and bottom walls 15 and 16 of the hood, the extensions on the wings abutting each other, the wings 114 defining the side walls 14 of the hood and the cut away portions'or depressions 117 defining the slots 17. The abutting portions 26 may be left as they are or may be joined by weldingif found expedient.

The yoke is finished by assembling therewith the filler block 18, preferably a casting, the latter being inserted between the arms 10 and 11 and slipped over. the free ends 121 of the-saidarms, the ends 121 being enteredrespectively in the upper and lower recesses 20 and the portions 19 being disposed between the flanges 18. The extremities of the portions 121 are then bent upwardly and downwardly as indicated in. dotted lines in Figure 7 and are forced into the en larged portions 22 of the recesses, being swaged to shape as indicated at 23 in Figure 2, leaving the intermediate portions 21 horizontally disposed. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the sections 21 are also upset or swaged during the assembling operation to snugly fit theopenings 20.

Although the free ends of the arms 10 t and 11 have been shown and described as joined by. securing the same to the filler block 13. it will be evident that/the filler block may-be dispensed with and the ends of the arms directly united by welding or united in any other suitable manner. It

will be obvious that when the filler block is dispensed with and the arms are united in a different mannerthan thathereinbefore described. the steps of the process will be correspondingly varied. the free ends of the arms being shaped and bent to best suit conditions. In performing my process it is essential, however, that the yoke be constructed by bending the blank upon itself,

the blank being so formed that a hollow hood having alined slots will be'formed at the bend in the blank, the side Walls of the yoke being formed from upstanding porare contemplated as Come within the'scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

I claim: I

1. In a process of forming a draft yoke:

shaping an elongated member to provide oppositely extending arms; providing said member with a central opening and upstanding wings at opposite sides of said open ing and forming upstanding lugs at oppositeends' of said wings; bending said elongated member at a 'polnt between the ends thereof tobring said arms into spaced relation,'bringing the opposite ends of each wing into abutting relation, thereby forminga substantially rectangular. hood having key-receiving slots therein; and o1ning the free endsthe yoke.

2. The Y in forming a blank having oppositely extending arms and intermediate upstanding side portions so shaped as to provide, when the blank is bent upon itself,1sideiwalls of a hood and also defined alined slots in the of the arms to complete herein described process consisting side walls adapted to receive the-usualkey; bending said blank at a zone substantially centrally between the ends thereof and bringing the opposite ends of the outer edges of each of'saidupstanding portions into op-' posed engaged.relation and disposing said arms in spaced relation, extending in the same general direction; and uniting the free ends of said arms. I V

p 3. In a process of forming a hooded draft yoke, providing an elongated blank having spaced I upstanding, parallel wings adapted to form the side wallsof the hood of the yoke, webs joining the bottom edges of said wings at the opposite, ends thereof and adapted to form the. top and bottom walls of the hood of the yoke, said webs being disposed in a common plane at right angles to. the plane of the wings, and an arm formed integral with each web and lying in the plane of the web, said arms extending in opposite directions; doubling said blank by bending the wings substantially midway between the ends; bringing the opposite ends of the upper edges of the wings into abutment thereby providing a hood having top and. bottom walls and slotted side walls; and

uniting the free ends'of said arms.

4. The herein described process of forming a, yoke having a rectangular hollow hood with diverging sidesand slots in said sides which includes: providing a blank having two end arms extending. in the same plane and united by an intermediate section, the

doubling the blank upon itself by bending at points on and intermediate the ends of the free edges of the flanges of said channelshaped connecting sections.

5. A yoke for railway draft riggings. having a one-piece hollow hood formed of the samepiece of metal throughout, said hood being defined by spaced side walls and spaced top and bottom walls, each of said side walls being provided with a drawbar key-receiving slot, spaced from the front and rear edges of said walls, the slots of said side walls being aligned, to sections of each of said side walls above andbelow said slot being integral and continuous with said top and bottom walls and formed of the same piece of metal, said sectionsabove and below said slot being joined by a section integral therewith and composed of the same continuous piece of metal, said section forming a solid porti on'of the hood wall between the key-receiving slot thereof and the front end of the hood, rearwardly extending spaced arms integral with the, hood and forming a part of the same continuous piece of metal with said top and bottom walls of the hood, said arms being rigidly united at the rear end of the yoke.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of February, 1924;

KARL M. HAMILTON. 

